Letters | Equality, private prisons, food stamps

A fight for equality

The blaring alarm at the beginning of Richard Wright's 1940 novel "Native Son" is intended as a wake-up call to Americans sleeping to the realities of discrimination faced by blacks in our country.

That alarm continues to sound to the atrocities endured by America's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, but millions of Americans continue to sleep.

Twenty-nine states can still fire individuals for being perceived as LGBT. Thirty-seven states still don't recognize marriages of LGBT citizens, barring the 1,138 rights, benefits and protections enjoyed by married heterosexual couples. Nine out of 10 LGBT students report bullying due to their sexual orientation and 30 percent of all teen suicides are a result of sexual identity crisis.

The fight for LGBT equality is far from over and will continue for decades. However, many heterosexual or "straight" Americans view the fight as something that isn't theirs to fight.

These aren't just "gay rights" issues, rather they are human rights issues that will benefit all of us once advanced to full equality.

Given President Barack Obama's recent announcement that June was LGBT Pride Month, Pride events held across the country (including many in the Bluegrass), and recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, it's imperative that heterosexuals wake up and start supporting and fighting alongside their LGBT friends, family members and peers.

As a heterosexual male myself, I have hit the snooze button too many times when it comes to waking up to the bigotry and discrimination LGBT citizens face in our country.

If we want progress to continue in our country, it's time we all wake up , stand up and join together to advance our country forward.

EMORY WILLIAMSON

Louisville 40245 -

Prison suggestion

I agree with the "Private prisons" letter to the editor appearing in the C-J on June 27. I think eliminating private contractors for prison administration is right and I am glad that is behind us. I think we should hire Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., to help bring our prison system into the 21st century. Our prisons should be a deterrent for criminal acts rather than a lounge for the perpetrators. If I had to watch the Disney Channel, wear pink underwear and live in a tent every day, I would move my next criminal activity to another state.

I also agree we should quit "caging our social problems" and provide a quality education for everyone. If a student upsets the learning process in the classroom, a teacher should be able to point to the door and the impediment to the process should be removed. This would require quality teachers and quality students but would assure a quality education. Stop the problems where they start. If a felon applies for a job, he should do it on a pink application, same color as the prior mentioned underwear. This pretty much agrees with the prior editorial. The methods are somewhat different.

WAYNE WILLIAMS

Goshen, Ky. 40026 -

Have a plan

In response to the writer of the June 27 letter regarding "Private Prisons," I couldn't support him or agree more. However, all that he has done is present "Next Steps" and then closed with "Anyone on board with that plan?"

I don't see the plan, just good ideas with no plan to implement. I fear the letter-writer has fallen into the same trap that many of our politicians have with regards to talking about issues without a plan to rectify the issues. Good "ideas" but no cigar!

BILL GEOGHEGAN

Louisville 40243 -

Money for food

In a letter in Saturday morning's C-J, a writer points out that the government's SNAP (food stamp) program "generates $1.70 in local economic activity" for every dollar spent.

She goes on to point out that this "easily makes this the most efficient means of stimulating the economy - much more so than, say, cutting taxes."

So my question in all seriousness, and with respect to the writer: Why not give everyone, including of course, me, access to this program?

If I didn't have to pay for my groceries, I could spend my money elsewhere, too. Everyone could.

Of course my follow up question would be: Where does the money for SNAP come from?

PAUL PARTRIDGE

Prospect, Ky. 40059 -

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Letters | Equality, private prisons, food stamps

The blaring alarm at the beginning of Richard Wright's 1940 novel 'Native Son' is intended as a wake-up call to Americans sleeping to the realities of discrimination faced by blacks in our country.